Quantitative characterization of asthma inhalation blends using correlative, AI powered X-ray microscopy

Discover the interdependent relationship between the structure, properties, and performance of drugs in pharmaceutical material science.

In this webinar, Dr. Ben Tordoff, Head of Materials Science Business Sector at ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions, Parmesh Gajar, principal scientist at the University of Manchester and Darragh Murnane, Professor of Pharmaceutics at the University of Hertfordshire will discuss the importance of the microstructure for producing respirable particles for effective therapeutic benefits of a typical dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation.

Additionally, they will describe how X-ray microscopy (XRM) can be combined with molecular modeling to calculate inter-particulate forces that underpin powder cohesion. They will also explain how the LabDCT technique can be utilized to gather 3D crystallographic information on crystalline bulk powders of lactose particles.

Finally, they will illustrate how artificial intelligence (AI) image analysis is used to visualize the powder microstructure and simulate the drug release performance.

Key learning objectives:

• Learn how to evaluate heterogeneous microstructures

• Discover how to combine crystallographic information and micro-CT imaging

• Understand why drug delivery is dependent on the microstructure and how it can be simulated

Who should attend?

Materials researchers from academia and industry, X-ray microscopy users, drug designers, pharmaceuticals material researchers, PhD students, principal investigators, and lab managers.

Certificate of attendance

All webinar participants can request a certificate of attendance, including a learning outcomes summary, for continuing education purposes.

Presenter: Dr. Ben Tordoff (ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions)

Dr. Ben Tordoff is the head of materials science at ZEISS Research Microscopy where he leads a team of materials scientists to develop workflows, applications and hardware for the next generation of scientists. He received his master's in physics and his PhD in experimental nuclear physics from the University of Manchester, UK, where he was awarded a Marie Curie scholarship. After graduation, he worked in several roles in R&D, project management, product management and strategic marketing.

Presenter: Darragh Murnane (University of Hertfordshire)

Darragh Murnane is professor of pharmaceutics, an associate dean for business and enterprise at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and a member of the MHRA’s expert advisory group on chemistry, pharmacy and standards. He leads research programs in medicinal product design and manufacture, biological models of disease and drug bioanalysis, and the design and use of inhalation devices. Since 2016, he has collaborated with Prof Phil Withers of the UK’s National X-ray Computed Tomography Facility at the University of Manchester to research X-ray CT methodologies for pharmaceuticals. In July 2023, Prof. Murnane founded Informix Pharma Ltd.

Presenter: Lawrence Howes (SelectScience)

Lawrence studied biological sciences at Swansea University, UK, before completing a master’s in epidemiology at the University of Bristol. As a member of the Editorial team, he now plays an integral role in shaping the content on SelectScience